New homes could mean more floods

THE expansion of Daventry could increase the flood risk to nearby Welton, according to the parish council chairman.

Heavy rain over recent weeks saw Welton Lane closed from Lang Farm in Daventry to Welton due to flooding.

Tony Dodd, chairman of Welton Parish Council, believes the planned expansion of Daventry’s Monksmoor estate could lead to more frequent or more serious floods.

He said: “The floods are usually on the bend just as you come into Welton from Daventry.

“You can’t always see the water if you’re coming from Daventry, and there’s a lot of people who use that road early in the morning, to take children to school or get to the A5, when warning signs might not be up.

“Cars can be damaged, get stuck, or worse, lose control and aquaplane off the road or into oncoming traffic.

Heavy rain at the end of November saw several cars have to be rescued from the flood waters in Welton.

Mr Dodd said: “Recently we’ve had two out of the four routes in and out of the village flooded, and a third isn’t safe at the best of times. “Both of those flooded areas have drains taking water out the village, which have been checked and are clear of blockages.

“They flow to the east and join a stream. Water from Lang Farm in Daventry drains into the ground, but if there’s too much it goes into the canal. “The canal has an overflow opposite the stream coming from Daventry Country Park, and that overflow goes into the same stream water from Welton.

“If that stream is already full of water it’s going to back up into Welton and flood, or make the situation worse.

“The planned Monksmoor development (1,000 homes between Welton Lane, the canal and Country Park) will see another area of land paved over and made impervious to water.

“No doubt it’s drainage will be similar to Lang Farm, and it will once again overflow into the canal, making the situation worse in the stream and potentially Welton as well.

“There’s been emails going back and forth from the parish council, district council and county council, but no-one seems to accept responsibility for the problem.”